Spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases and outcome in a tertiary gastroenterology and hepatology unit in Rivers State, Nigeria: A 2 year review

Background: Diseases of the liver and the gastrointestinal tract constitute a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and understanding this is important in health policy formulation and implementation. Clinical data on gastrointestinal and liver-related admissions and disease burden are limited in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria inclusive.’

Method: This was a 2-year retrospective review of all patients aged 18 years and above who were admitted into the gastroenterology unit during the study period. The data were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The categorical variables were presented as proportions and percentages while numerical variables were presented as means and standard deviations.

Results: A total of 393 patients were admitted into the Gastroenterology unit over the period of study comprising 214(54.5%) males and 179(45.5%) females in the ratio of 1.2:1. The 5th decade of age accounted for majority of the admissions. The commonest Gastroenterology diseases documented included Chronic Liver disease and Diarrhoea diseases which occurred in 101 (25.7%) and 69 (17.6%) respectively. Others are UGIB. 49 (12.5%), PUD 47 (12.0%) and viral hepatitis 31 (7.9%). During this period 101 deaths were recorded representing 25.7% of gastrointestinal admissions with a mean age at death of 57.45±15.53 years. Chronic Liver disease was the major contributor to mortality in 38 (37.61%) followed by diarrhea in 13(12.6%) persons.

Conclusion: Gastrointestinal and Liver diseases are a significant cause of disease burden and mortality in the medical wards with Liver related diseases and chronic diarrheas accounting for a majority of them. Emphasis should be placed on policies focused on mitigating the risk factors for these diseases, increased public awareness, and provision of basic amenities in order to combat them